Earlier, over 200 printing and dyeing units were in operation in Keqiao, is an important textile cluster in China which is was famously called ‘China Textile City’ — unfortunately,the traditional printing and dyeing industry faces serious environmental issues, including high energy-consuming, high-emission low-end equipment (80 per cent of which are more than 10-years old), however, since the last four years, there are only about 100 left in operation and here their production has fallen from 20 billion meters to 16 billion meters per year.

While relocating the industry, Keqiao worked out the negative list for equipment renovation and in 2016 alone, 2,023 sets of outdated printing and dyeing equipment were replaced.

By relocating to clusters and utilising technologically advanced equipment, the industry has risen from the ashes like the fabled Phoenix. Currently, as construction of the first- and second-Phase of the printing and dyeing cluster have been completed, 40 projects have been put into production, while 17 projects in the third Phase are under construction. In the first three quarters of this year, the local printing and dyeing industry recorded a 19.2 per cent growth in industrial output, 19.2per cent growth in sales, 27.8per cent growth in total profits and 23.7per cent growth in taxes.

Under the banner 'green, high-end and leading the world’, Keqiao is now building the Lanyin Fashion Town (industrial park), targeted at improving economic performance by introducing innovative technology, advanced equipment and effective management within a planned area of 3.5 square kilometers, Lanyin Fashion Town will be based on sustainable printing and dyeing; this will be supported by fashion culture tourism.